2011-07-12

The English influence on the Polish cuisine -English luncheon meat

As a child I thought how good English cuisine was . Somebody might be very surprised now. I know but you need to know that when I was 5 years old there was martial law in Poland. Groceries were completely empty. Mygrandfathersometimesbrought English biscuits and a can of Englishluncheon meat. I loved English luncheon meat. I was sometimes angry when my granddad didn’t bring a can of Englishluncheon meat. I was a child then and the adjective “English” means “luxury” for me.

That year at Christmas we got a food parcel from our family. They live abroad. Among rice, sugar, cans of meat and sweets I found English tea. The box of tea becamethe bestChristmas gift for me. I was very young and I don’t remember the political situation in Poland but I remember empty shops and longqueuesfor food and “English delicious”.

During my whole childhood I thought that England had the best food in the world. Until I discoveredthat Englishluncheon meatis made​​inPoland. However, I still like it but after this discovery my love to England got weaker.

There was no love lost between me and English cuisine when I met true Englishmen. When I was in high school, my town was visited by culturaldelegationsfrom England. My parents hosted two womenofthisdelegation. One day they prepareda realEnglishdinner for my family. That was the worst mealI have evertried.

Two years ago I was in Great Britain and I tried English food, but itdid notconvinceme. I still think that English cuisine isn’t good. I am wondering why one Polish company named grocery products English. I was looking for the influence of English cuisine on Polish cuisine, but I didn’t find it. In the past Great Britain was far away from Poland. Before the twentieth century Poland didn’t have any political or economical influence from England. In the twentieth century Great Britain was a place to which political emigrants from Poland moved. Maybe the adjective English in the names of food as an expression of opposition to the authorities and a symbol of freedom?

I don’t know, but Englishluncheon meat means freedom for me. I had cans of this food in mybackpackduringmulti-daytrekking travels. I can eat it hot and cold, with bread and alone. It is always very tasty. Now when I sometimes miss Polish sausage and ham, I eat Englishluncheon meat and all my childhood comes back to me.

This is last post about influence on Polish cuisine. I plan two new series about Irish and also Polish regional cuisine.